WATER DAMAGE FLOOD WOES HAVE TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT By David Schmeichel
T he Portage and District Chamber of Commerce has joined the growing chorus of voices calling on the province to fast-track flood mitigation efforts in the Lake Manitoba region. Having twice in the last four years weathered state-of- emergency flood levels — the sort that in theory are only supposed to occur once every century or so — area business leaders are mobilizing in an effort to convince provincial authorities to make prevention strategies a priority. And with question marks hanging over everything from lake levels to compensation — not to mention whether a proposed new outlet channel will be built in time for the next crisis, or whether it will have any impact once it’s finished — the region’s economy is already beginning to feel the pinch. “I’ve talked to a number of local businesses, asking whether or not the flooding event (last) July has had a negative impact on their business, and they said absolutely,” says Portage Chamber president Dave Omichinski, noting the 2014 flood was one of the first of its magnitude to result from heavy rainfall in Manitoba, as opposed to the usual spring runoff. “There’s this uncertainty. And what do people do when they’re uncertain? They keep their wallets in their pockets.” Omichinski was moved to rally the Portage Chamber after attending a meeting of the Lake Manitoba Flood Rehabilitation
Committee in July. After hearing stories of loss and devastation from area producers, cottage owners and First Nations residents, he realized Portage’s business community had a role to play in ensuring the issue remains top of mind for those in a position to help. Omichinski says certain regions have been in a sort of holding pattern since the similarly catastrophic flood of 2011, citing displaced residents who are still waiting to return to their homes, smalltown shops and tourist attractions that have been shuttered due to reduced visitor traffic, and development and even re-construction plans that have been tabled while the province hashes out a long-term strategy for lake management. He’s already aligned with the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce (MCC) — and hopes to soon enlist the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and city officials in Portage — in raising awareness about the issue in his region and beyond. He’s particularly interested in the province’s plans for a second outlet channel, a proposal he’s heard could take up to seven years to complete. MCC president Chuck Davidson says he’d encourage chambers throughout Manitoba to play a similar role in facilitating discussions between member businesses, flood- affected parties and their own government representatives,
26 MBiz | November 2014
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